Archive for July, 2014

At Put-in-Bay, one of Northwest Ohio’s favorite summertime destination, 15 women who thought they were having an innocent drink may have been given the date-rape drug Rohypnol.
According to reports from the Put-in-Bay Police Department between May 5 to July 25, police responded to reports of “possible rape,” “intoxicated female” and “possible drugged female” 15 times at several locations on the island, mainly taverns but at least one bed-and-breakfast.
Each of the police reports followed a similar vein: The women were either violently ill or passed out when police arrived and those conscious could not remember the circumstances or events that led to becoming ill. Upon further investigation, in many cases police found that the women had received drinks from a stranger or acquaintance.
At least two of the victims may have been raped and two others had to be transported via helicopter to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo. One man has been questioned and another detained, but no arrests have been made.
Put-in-Bay Police Chief Ric Lampela has come under scrutiny and criticism recently. About one fourth of the department’s officers are in their first year of service and four more seasoned officers are slated to leave soon. More inexperienced officers will replace them.
Lampela has said it’s hard to find quality candidates because of the job’s seasonality and low pay and that he is competing with other departments.
Negative attention was fueled anew July 30 by a Cleveland Scene article, shared widely via social media, that refers to Put-in-Bay as “Roofie Island.”
Lampela was not available for comment, July 31, however, a faxed media statement from the department noted none of the incidents have been proven to involve drugs.
“There have been 15 reported incidents in 2014 (as of 7/31/2014) where the person believed that they were possibly drugged while at Put-in-Bay,” the statement read. “To this day, none of the cases have been positively confirmed as a drugging incident.”
A police report from June 15 states that after a woman got off work, “she was picked up by a male named Kevin and was taken to St. Hazards (on Middle Bass Island) for a drink. [The woman] says she was later dropped off at her house and about an hour later, she started feeling funny and her parents noticed she was acting differently …” It’s not clear from the report whether Kevin is a suspect.
On May 5, police reported that a woman got off work from Mr. Ed’s Bar and Grille about 1:30 a.m. and then had drinks with a man whom police would not identify. They consumed alcohol at three establishments. She then could not remember anything until she found the man lying on top of her “yelling for her to ‘take her f***ing clothes off.’” The man then raped her, she told police.
Put-in-Bay is a summer resort and tourism destination on South Bass Island in the western end of Lake Erie. Only about 140 residents live on the island year-round, but thousands throng to its shores every summer for the boating, fishing, gift shops, caves and Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial as well as its bar culture. The island recently celebrated one of its busiest annual events, the 12 Days of Christmas in July, in which the island is decked out in Christmas decorations and businesses offer drink and food specials.
Some island residents and business owners are upset by the negative media coverage.
In a letter to the editor to the Sandusky Register, Ken Benjamin, owner of Stonehenge Estate on Put-in-Bay, said the reports were hurting tourism.
“Your daily negative front page drum beat of South Bass Island issues needs to be reviewed,” he wrote. “All of this lazy, space filling reporting negates the positive work of the Lake Erie Shores & Islands organization and various chambers (of commerce). Your ‘National Inquiry’ reporting destroys the money and time spent encouraging visitors from all over the country to share this wonderful part of Ohio with us. Our industry is tourism and we all have to deal with thousands of visitors in a short 110-day period. Most of us in the islands’ business community wish that 1 percent of those thousands who cause most of the troubles would go somewhere else. The picture you continue to paint every day of our community is ugly. Not so and it needs to stop!”
In an editor’s note, the newspaper defended its coverage, responding that to “censor news information to create a better local business climate does not align with better journalistic practices.”
A call to the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau went unanswered July 31.

One Northwest Ohio woman is fighting back with her most powerful weapon — a parent’s love.
Mary Juarez of Archbold lost her 31-year-old son Marjoe Gineman to drug and alcohol addiction in 2010, and has become — as her website indicates — “a mother on a mission.”
She quit her job to help others with the same problem.
“Drugs,” Mary said, “offer the hardest battle we have to fight.”
Marjoe lived far from any major urban setting or gang culture. He had a love of God, enjoyed sports, was artistic and liked to joke around.
Mary raised her son in this rural Fulton County town (pop. 4,300) in a faith-filled home surrounded by loving, extended family.
“My mother passed away in Marjoe’s freshman year,” she said. “I do believe for a 14-year-old young man, going through adolescence and a whole new realm of life — learning to deal with grief — he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead of walking away, he gave into the temptation of a few beers.”
It led to more drinking, which was a gateway to marijuana. He turned to heroin, which then evolved into prescription pills.
“I didn’t know him,” Mary said, “and he didn’t even know himself.”
Marjoe’s 15-year addiction landed him in two rehabilitation centers, but by 2009 he seemed to be conquering his problem and finding peace, courage and new hope.
“He was so strong then and said, ‘If I can make it through rehab, anyone can make it through rehab,’” Mary said. It only took a small relapse where Mary believes “for one second he let go of God’s hand and the courage to say no,” and Marjoe was gone.
Not long after, her sorrow grew into a passion for helping others with Never Let Go Ministries, a nonprofit aimed at creating drug-free communities through education and awareness.
Mary and her husband, Victor Juarez, have spoken to more than 60 schools, youth groups and rehab centers throughout Northwest Ohio and appear at various events, such as the recent EXCLAIM! Christian music festival in Toledo. Their website — neverletgo ministries.com — explores their motto, “Never let go of God’s hand, and never let go of the courage to say no.”
“The main thing is she (Mary) doesn’t want Marjoe’s life to be a waste of a life,” Victor said. “She wanted his death to have a purpose. If it wasn’t for him losing his life, we wouldn’t be doing this. She does this because Marjoe lives on through this. She wants something to become good through his death.”
Having recently obtained 501(c)(3) status, the Juarezes have big plans for Never Let Go Ministries as they hope to obtain an office, earn grants and create a center where others can get counseling. Fighting the battle in Northwest Ohio must be a group effort, said Victor, because the location poses problems.
“You have the turnpike which crosses the top of Northwest Ohio,” Victor said. “You have Michigan, Detroit, Canada, Fort Wayne — it’s just surrounded by different areas and highways where dealers can come in and sell their product. It’s just so hard for law enforcement to keep it down, and they’re trying very hard.”
While the couple will do what they can to help, they realize addiction is often the result of bad choices.
“I can’t say I ever met an addict who wanted to be an addict,” Mary said. “They tell me it is the most hopeless, sickest journey anyone has ever walked, but once they cross that line there is no going back. These are absolutely beautiful people, but they made some wrong choices.”Epidemic proportions
When former first lady Nancy Reagan introduced the famous “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign in the 1980s, it wasn’t as though the war on drugs had just begun. That battle was originated, at least formally, 100 years ago in 1914 by the U.S. government.
The campaign was, however, a very public and concentrated group effort among national and world leaders, educators, law enforcement and drug abuse programs to stop what was becoming a growing problem.
Right here in Toledo that same concept is being applied to a drug problem that’s not just grown, but has reached epidemic status throughout Northwest Ohio and all of America: heroin and opioid abuse.
“This is now the No. 1 cause of accidental death in America,” said Dr. Robert Forney, Lucas County chief toxicologist. “And it’s growing at an exponential [rate]. There is no plateau yet.”
If that statement doesn’t cause alarm, a quick look at local statistics should. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office confirmed the following heroin deaths in recent years: 2010, 8; 2011, 15; 2012, 31; 2013, 80; 2014, 60 in the first five months, with 100-150 possible by the end of the year.
“I think the thing that needs to be remembered is that some of these people were put on medications, and for one reason or another became addicted,” said Dr. James Patrick, Lucas County coroner. “The public and others have come to the understanding that one should not have to endure chronic pain. The problem with that is — and I don’t disagree — many of the drugs that are used to alleviate pain are significantly addictive. Then the problem is, if the source of pain is no longer there or is fixed, the question becomes then how to wean somebody off these drugs if they’re addictive.
“They are using heroin as a substitute for prescription drugs that they’re no longer able to obtain in the quantities that they need them.”
Another surprise to many is that this epidemic affects various social groups, and is not necessarily confined to an urban setting, as many often expect. Forney indicated that of the 60 heroin deaths so far this year, 76.3 percent were men and 82.8 percent were white/Caucasian. The age range is 19-66, with the average at 39.9.
“This is really in the suburbs,” Forney said. “I don’t mean it’s not in the inner city, but these aren’t people meeting street people in the inner city, and part of that whole gang/drug sort of culture.”
He said addiction can affect anyone, using Rush Limbaugh’s battle with prescription painkillers in 2003 as an example.
“If you look at the statistics of people that are dying of overdoses, they are typically individuals ranging from mid-30s to mid-50s, typically Caucasian,” said Scott Sylak of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County (MHRSB). “ZIP codes are primarily not in the central city district.”
The current epidemic can be traced back several years, Forney said. In 2001, the Joint Commission — an independent organization that accredits and certifies over 20,000 health care organizations and programs — named pain a fifth vital sign (the others being the more scientifically measurable temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate).
With pain as vital sign, the physician must now pay attention to it and treat it, according to Forney, and that’s where opioids come in. Opioids’ narcotic effect causes a dullness and soothing emotion, and synthetic opiates are often used to treat bodily pain.
In the wake of the Joint Commission’s revised standard, the sale of opioids began to increase as more and more prescriptions were written for outpatients. But while there is a real attempt to treat pain with narcotics on a chronic, long-term basis, as the body adjusts to these drugs it needs higher doses to be effective.
“These are all combination deaths,” Forney said. “It’s very [different from] what we typically see in a suicide, where people take a handful of pills. That’s not the way these look. With narcotics, the more you take the more your body accommodates itself to it. It’s a little bit like the tolerance to alcohol, although the actual methods of tolerance are different.”
“One of the problems with opioid drugs is not only are they addicting, it takes more of them to do their thing,” Patrick said. “The idea is that there is clearly a factor of tolerance with the opioid drugs. You are apt to require more to alleviate pain.”
There was a time when patients with expired prescriptions could drive to an urgent care facility in another city to get more medicine, but now a statewide monitoring system prevents that overuse. But the fact remains that when someone is hurting, they want drugs to alleviate the pain.
When a prescription supply is cut off, many seek alternate sources for the medication they’ve become dependent on. Instead of obtaining the drugs they really need, they may turn in desperation to heroin, which can be inexpensive compared to drugs like Vicodin.
The conundrum begs more questions, for which it’s difficult to find solid answers.
“I’m not a social scientist, but I’ve heard others, especially in the media, comment on the ‘greatest generation,’” Forney said. “They were tough people and were willing to suffer a lot without calling in sick or needing much in the way of pain relief. If you go to the next generation — baby boomers or generation X — are we crybabies? These [cases] are mostly men. Why aren’t there more women? Why aren’t there more minorities?”
Doctors are somewhat caught in the middle. If they don’t alleviate patients’ pain, they can be criticized. If they believe what patients tell them and prescribe opioids, they’re in a sense part of the larger problem. Pain, it could be argued, is a subjective symptom, not an objective sign.
At MHRSB, officials work to help those with addictions.
“Our role is mainly to look at those folks in need of treatment, and how to get them the best possible treatment in our community,” Sylak said. “We’ve been working on a process to refer people to us. I think in general, [to curb] the heroin and opioid epidemic, it will take multiple efforts of different groups working together.”
By law, MHRSB doesn’t provide direct services, but rather contracts with five different centers in the area to offer that help: Harbor, Zepf Center/COMPASS, Unison, New Concepts and Rescue Mental Health Services.
Sylak notes that MHRSB is working with each to ensure there’s adequate capacity to serve future clients as projected by the trends. Their most recently passed levy in November 2012 is certainly helping them in their quest, Sylak said.Fighting the war
Until recently, law enforcement dealt with heroin overdose cases in a “callous” manner, Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp said during a July 25 interview.
Tharp recalled a case he handled with Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins when both men were police officers. They were called to a home, he said, and found three people who had overdosed on heroin.
The protocol: Find out their names, create a file and be done with it.
Tharp may have revolutionized the procedure for handling heroin cases by recently creating the Addiction Resource Unit (ARU), comprised of law enforcement officers and agencies from across the county. They will visit hospitals, talk to family members and investigate the scene all with the intent of getting the victim treatment and arresting the drug supplier.
The ARU involves a staggering level of cooperation among agencies: police and fire departments around the county, dozens of rehabilitation services, the metro drug unit, the county prosecutor’s office and the county coroner.
“This is not a program, not a philosophy,” Tharp said. “This is a new way of doing business.”
It’s a collaborative effort with the goal of keeping people alive, he said.
Dispatchers are often unaware that emergency calls are actually heroin overdoses because family members cover up for their loved ones. They don’t want police to know that their son or daughter or aunt or father is using.
Law enforcement knows what to do when there’s a shooting or stabbing, but they didn’t know what to do when dispatched to a hospital for an overdose. They did know that the person being treated might not be able to speak, not only because of medical treatment, but because they might not want to talk to law enforcement, Tharp said.
That’s where Matt Rizzo, interim executive director of A Renewed Mind, steps in. Rizzo developed a training module for deputies to use on the streets.
The SOS method involves “supporting” families and listening to their struggles that have led to a loved one using heroin or opioids, including information on what may lead to an arrest; “offer” resources that are available to help the victim into treatment; and “secure” the environment for recovery, such as removing any prescription drugs from the home.
With 20 years in the mental health and addiction field, Rizzo used his experiences in social work and therapy to develop the SOS training model. A DVD is currently being created so law enforcement can train themselves. Counselors are also riding along with deputies to provide additional support.
The training aids the deputies in their dealings with family members at the home or hospital. They now can help families find treatment and discuss insurance options for their loved one. Deputies also hand out educational prevention kits that contain information and resources on addiction.
“We’ll continue working with the family,” Tharp said. “If there’s a relapse, we’ll still be there for them.
“We’re not going to walk away. When that person hits bottom, that deputy could be the spark to get them into counseling and start a new life for themselves.”
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates is on board with Tharp’s new way of doing business. Bates plans to hand down manslaughter or homicide charges to suppliers if the evidence supports it.
Now, deputies will investigate overdoses that result in death as homicide cases. They will gather evidence, including syringes and fingerprints, to track down suppliers.
Bates said she will take each case on an individual basis.
“We don’t want to make criminals out of the overdose subjects,” Bates said. “So we’re going to have to feel our way with this, but maybe we can help these people get off of drugs. If the victim does die, we’ll look at it as a homicide; we’ll look at the scene and see what we can find out — who did they get the drugs from, who gave it to them?
“We’ll look at what kind of evidence is found. If we find the dealer, we can prosecute the dealer.”National trend
According to a July report by USA Today, there’s a national trend to prosecute overdoses that result in death as homicides.
Ohio legislators are considering a drug-induced homicide law. Illinois, Pennsylvania and Kansas have already passed one. Wisconsin prosecutors charged 71 people with first-degree reckless homicide by drug delivery in 2013, compared to 47 in 2012.
In Michigan, it has been reported that the homicide charge has been used against 75 people from 2010 to 2013.
The deputies in ARU currently have more than 60 cases they’re working on, including two deaths. Tharp said two to three people overdose per week, just in Toledo.
Tharp did not receive any startup money for the unit, nor did he want to wait for grants. With the county commissioners’ OK, he pulled in deputies from other departments and paid overtime.
“The county commissioners have been very aggressive to encourage a change in the way of doing business,” Tharp said. “This could not wait for grants. This service needed to be done immediately.”
The Addiction Resource Unit is housed Downtown at the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office. Tharp said they are currently in the process of knocking down two walls in an office area to create one large squad room where deputies can work together. “United we’re strong,” he said.
The Lucas County Sheriff’s Deputies in the unit include Deputy Sheriff Charles Johnson, Deputy Sheriff Damian Worthy, Sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Gorney and Lt. Andrea Luna.
Johnson said he has been inundated with emails from the public seeking assistance and information since the unit was formed a few weeks ago. Johnson, who has worked for the Lucas County Sheriff’s Department since 2002 and has 19 years in law enforcement, called his new position the most demanding yet fulfilling job he’s ever had.
“I will work 20 hours a day doing this job and get paid for eight because I’m helping someone out,” Johnson said.
The unit’s work is “very, very important,” Tharp said, because young people are destroying their lives and their families every day.
“All resources have to pull together to curb this heroin epidemic — all law enforcement agencies in the county, all fire departments in the county, all rehabilitation agencies in the county and in the community,” Tharp said. “We all have to pull together.
“And we have to stay united.”

The war between DC Comics and Marvel Comics flared up at this year’s Comic-Con International, scorching both companies and fans alike. With announcements flying fast and furious, one didn’t have to wait long for each parry and thrust as the two giants battled for supremacy at the world’s largest pop culture convention.

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Marvel came out swingin’ even before the big show with big changes to their legendary characters – Thor’s a woman! Captain America’s black! Iron Man’s a walking iPod! – then trotted out the stars of the upcoming “Avengers: Age of Ultron”film as well as a few feet of fantastic footage. Not satisfied with simply relying on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for buzz, an announcement of a sequel to the new “Guardians of the Galaxy”movie and a reveal of poster art for the still-in-preproduction “Ant-Man”feature sent Marvel zombies into spirals of delight.

DC wisely led with a one-two punch of Justice League proportions. Not only did they show off Ben Affleck’s Batman costume from their upcoming “Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice” and a new pic of the Ben in the same regalia, but also the first photo of actress Gal Godot as Wonder Woman from the aforementioned film. Twitter chirped tweet after tweet over the new take on the superheroine’s classic costume, with opinions split right down the middle on its Xena-like virtues.

Comic-Con has long been a venue for promoting the battle between the two leading comic book companies, a 50-year-plus clash that has obliterated friendships and brought fans to blows with every round of fisticuffs. DC and Marvel have long claimed that their rivalry is a friendly, amiable one, but when Facebook lights up with long and heated debates on who “won” at Comic-Con, you realize that no one informed the fans of the struggle’s happy-go-lucky nature.

No sign of diminishing warfare seems to loom on the horizon. With Marvel uprooting its entire comic book cast and locking down movie release dates for at-yet-unnamed films and DC conquering TV with superhero series and cramming every last character of theirs into “Superman vs Batman,” looks like the real winners are the fans…they just haven’t realized it yet.

Over 35 Ohio high school students are out to show what young adults can create when given total artistic freedom.

Members of Summerstock Toledo’s cast and production staff for ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ promoting the upcoming production at a Toledo Mud Hens game. Photo courtesy Summerstock Toledo.

For its fifth year, Summerstock Toledo will put an entire theatrical production in the hands of youth.

“I don’t think many people believe students are capable of handling all the backstage duties or being authoritative enough to run each other,” said Thomas Rabuano, co-producer of Summerstock. “But when you put a show completely in students’ hands, what they come up with is absolutely wonderful.”

Responsibilities include acting, directing, producing, set design, advertisement and fundraising.

“I think the common view among older people is that our generation spends all our time goofing off and playing videogames, but that’s not true at all,” said David Henninger, co-producer.

As recent high school graduates, Rabuano and Henninger said Summerstock has given them tools necessary to pursue careers in theater.

“It really helps us make that transition between high school, where we have to raise our hand to go to the bathroom, and college, where we can do whatever we want,” Henninger said.

One student is assigned to each area of production, with the exception of advertising and areas where multiple people are needed. The orchestra pit also consists mainly of students, with the exception of a few adult volunteers.

Although students make every decision in the production process, an adult moderator is on set to provide guidance.

Each year the Summerstock budget begins at $0, which makes fundraising one of its biggest challenges.

“We begin each year with nothing in our bank account, and throughout the summer we use fundraisers and donations from outside businesses to raise all the money to make production happen,” Henninger said.

Many students on the production team plan on careers in theater, but Henninger said many students with very little experience in theater have stepped out of their comfort zones to participate.

“It’s just amazing when you see what students can really do when they’re passionate about something like this. Everyone puts hard work into what they’re doing, whether they’re designing the set or working on choreography,” Rabuano said.

Students eligible to participate in Summerstock have completed their freshman year of high school, and are able to participate until graduation.

According to Henninger, Summerstock teaches interpersonal skills in an on-the-job setting.

“You have to communicate with your partners and touch base with them, checking in with everyone else on the production staff before making serious decisions,” Henninger said.

“People think with all the technology involved it’s really easy to communicate, but it can also make situations more difficult with misunderstandings, whether it’s simple things or big decisions,” Rabuano said.

This season the Summerstock board chose “Little Shop of Horrors,” a family-friendly black comedy.

This play follows Seymour, the unfortunate florist who stumbles across a carnivorous R&B-singing plant named Audrey II. As the foul-mouthed plant develops a taste for human blood, it’s up to Seymour to prevent its quest for world domination.

“We chose this show because it’s fun for all ages, and it provides the small cast experience you really can’t find anywhere else,” Henninger said.

As a nonprofit organization, Summerstock seeks a different Toledo venue each year.

This year’s production will be held at McQuade Theater at St. John Jesuit High School, 5901 Airport Hwy. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Aug 1-2 and 2 p.m. Aug 3. Tickets are $8 for students, $10 for adults or $12 for preferred seating (first three rows), available at the door.

It is loaded with great golf opportunities for every practicing golfaholic.

Most golfers are familiar with Arcadia Bluffs on the west side of the state. It sits majestically along the Lake Michigan coastline and many of the 18 holes offer panoramic views over the lake.

The veranda of the clubhouse is a great place to enjoy a meal or just a glass of your favorite beverage while you take in the beautiful surroundings.

The course is challenging and is always rated as one of the best in the state as well as the nation.

Many golfers are not aware of the gem that sits in the middle of the lower-peninsula near Roscommon: Forest Dunes.

This 18-hole Tom Weiskopf design opened for play in 2002 and is one of Weiskopf’s best efforts. He routed nine holes through the thick pine tree forest and a second nine over and around the sand dunes, using much of the natural terrain.

Photo: Courtesy Forest Dunes

The course earned rave reviews, but the property never gained popularity with golfers until just a couple years ago. It came under new ownership in 2012 and invested $1.5 million in the new Lake Au Sable Lodge that allows Forest Dunes to offer affordable stay and play packages.

One of the advantages of the location of Forest Dunes is its proximity to Gaylord, Mackinac, Traverse City and even Petosky. Golfers can stay at Forest Dunes and easily access the other wonderful attractions of Michigan.

Forest Dunes has just contracted world-famous golf architect Tom Doak to design a second 18-hole course. Construction has already begun and it will be ready for play by the summer of 2016.

When the new course is complete it will offer one of the most unique features of any golf course on the North American continent.

Forest Dunes is easily accessible off I-75. If you are heading north for a vacation or heading home from a northern adventure, do yourself a favor and stop by Forest Dunes for a quick 18 and a wonderful dining experience.

Photo: Courtesy Forest Dunes

I recommend every golfaholic put Forest Dunes near the top of his or her bucket list.

Other wonderful golf locations in Michigan include Boyne, Lakewood Shores, Treetops and Crystal Mountain. Each offers complete accommodation packages and every amenity necessary to please even the most demanding golf traveler.

In addition to great golf, the western coastline along Lake Michigan is stunning with beautiful beaches, hiking and great views.

Spend a day or two driving along M-22 and explore Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort, Glen Arbor and the Leelanau Peninsula.

You won’t be sorry.

Traverse City, Petosky, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix all offer great dining opportunities, as well as, golf.

Photo: Courtesy Forest Dunes

Do yourself a favor this summer and take a road trip through Michigan.

As Tim Allen says on those television ads, enjoy some of Pure Michigan.

Fred Altvater offers golf tips and videos at www.toledoohiogolflessons.com. Email him at BackNine@toledofree press.com or follow him on Twitter @tolohgolfr.

The day’s events include a 5K run, a one-mile walk, a 100-meter heels dash and a heels decorating competition. All the proceeds will benefit WEN, Girls on the Run of Northwest Ohio and Toledo Roadrunners.

WEN Director Alicia Wagner said the event became a collaborative event when WEN joined forces with the Toledo Roadrunners, which had been organizing the Women’s Distance Festival for 34 years.

“I’m a big believer in collaboration,” Wagner said.

WEN is a networking organization, but Wagner said it’s not for solely business networking. It’s to help women become better business owners, better wives, better mothers and better overall people.

“We’re not your traditional networking group, where you meet people and you pass cards around,” Wanger said. “We’re really interested in getting to know you. And we know people end up working with people they trust. We really have friendship as our mission. So that takes that personal level into that connection. It’s not just the business side of things.”

Karen Kiemnec, a WEN member, said she got involved with the group in 2005 to network her business and work with other women.

“Right now, I have a business called Releasing the Ties that Bind,” Kiemnec said. “I work with women who have been divorced to regain joy and freedom. These women have become my friends and, because they trust me, they often become my clients a well.”

The concept that people work with people they trust is what Wagner said the organization is built upon. She said WEN aims to provide resources for women to improve their businesses and lives overall.

“Our founder, Linda Fayerweather, went to her local chamber back in 1993, and asked what resources were available for women starting businesses, and they basically laughed and said, ‘What resources for women?’” Wagner said.

Fayerweather went to Columbus, received a grant and founded WEN. In the past 20 years, the organization has grown to around 200 members.

The different levels of membership in WEN are available to both men and women, and Wagner said about one third of the membership is comprised of men.

“WEN believes that it’s through men and women working together that we’re going to move women forward in business,” Wagner said. “So a third of our membership is men.”

WEN is built on three pillars: four networking meetings each month, WEN mini-growth summits with speakers who address different topics and a new online training center where WEN resources and partners are listed online.

“We truly believe that unless you’re happy at home, you’re not happy at work,” Wagner said. “So while we provide development on your business, we also provide all sorts of resources to provide empowerment or all sorts of resources to help you become a better mom or a better wife. We truly believe that it’s the total package — we can help make everyone better in life and in their business.”

The deadline for the heels decorating contest is 8 p.m. July 31 to Dave’s Running Shop, 26567 Dixie Hwy. in Perrysburg. Submitting a pair of heels costs $25, but includes a place to put the contestants’ businesses on display next to their heels, a T-shirt, and an entry in the mile walk or the heels race.

Registration for one event is $15 and $20 for two events. Children 12 years old and younger are $5. Applicants can register at www.wen-usa.com/upcoming-event/.

Radio host Sid Kelly has accepted a job as a morning show host in Tulsa, Oklahoma, starting Aug. 11.

The former host of Toledo’s 92.5 KISS-FM’s “The Morning Rush” was let go in May over a salary dispute with the radio station’s corporate owners, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.

Sid Kelly

The 17-year radio veteran’s one-year contract came up for review and Clear Channel decided not to renew, leaving the radio host “heartbroken” and “shocked,” he told Toledo Free Press at the time. He had been with the station for three years.

“I know a lot of you have been waiting to hear what my next move is going to be, and after all the legal red tape and last-minute phone calls I’m PROUD to announce that I’ve accepted the morning host job at KHITS in Tulsa, Oklahoma starting August 11,” he wrote. “While this opportunity is a dream come true, it is with an extremely heavy heart that I leave behind several friends I’ve made throughout the years here in Northwest Ohio.”

Kelly will join the morning show at WHTT 106.9 K-HITS in Tulsa.

“Sid’s talent really stuck out early in this process and his previous successes demonstrate the type of track record that will continue to grow K-HITS’ audience,” said K-HITS Program Director Jet Black in a July 30 news release. “We’re very excited to get him started. August 11th can’t get here fast enough.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Sid to the K-HITS team,” added KHTT Operations Manager Jules Riley in the release. “His ability to connect with the audience through humor and community involvement will be a huge asset as we continue with the evolution of this heritage brand.”

“From the moment I walked the halls and saw the operation, I could tell it was the place I wanted to be,” Kelly said in the release. “One of the goals I’ve always had was to be able to build a morning show from the ground up and work with managers who have the knowledge and faith to trust in my abilities.”

Kelly and his wife Emily were married in Toledo. They have three children, ages 5, 3 and 9 months. He was an occasional columnist for Toledo Free Press.

“N. W. Ohio will ALWAYS hold a huge spot in my heart,” he posted on Facebook. “The truth is, I love this city. From the Polish Fest and German Fest, Walleye games, moving Halloween, replacing a thief that stole more than just cash, to repairing relationships in a building that seemed to go less and less noticed as time went on; I enjoyed myself.”

Mud Hens pitcher Evan Reed was charged July 30 with sexual assault related to a March incident in Detroit when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Evan Reed

Reed, 28, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct for alleged committing “an act of penetration through force or coercion” when he “had reason to know the victim was physically helpless or mentally incapacitated or mentally incapable to consent,” according to a news release from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years.

He is expected to turn himself in to authorities accompanied by his attorney Ben Gonek and be arraigned in 36th District Court in Detroit at 10:30 a.m. July 31, according to the prosecutor’s office

The alleged assault occurred in Detroit the day before the Tigers’ home opener on March 31.

The incident was reported by a 45-year-old Oakland County woman, who said she was at a bar in Royal Oak around 10 p.m. March 29, where she met Reed and they danced, according to the release. Afterward they sat in a booth with others and chatted. At some point, the woman finished an alcoholic drink and “began to feel odd.” After midnight, she and Reed left the bar and went to a Detroit hotel, where she alleges Reed sexually assaulted her around 7:30 a.m. March 30 and then asked her to leave.

“It is important to note that in any case the investigation must be thorough and all witnesses must be located and interviewed. This protocol remains the same if the alleged defendant is wealthy, privileged, a known figure or even a promising athlete,” Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said in the release.

Reed was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2007. He joined the Tigers organization in 2013, and shuttled between Detroit and Toledo last season. He made his major league debut with the Tigers in May 2013. He started the 2014 season in Detroit and was sent to Toledo in late June.

Just when the dregs of summer were starting to get to me, it was there.

.

Just when a vast wasteland of an empty sports schedule was staring me in the face, it was there.

Just when the thought of “My goodness, we still have 62 games of regular season baseball left” was starting to depress me, it was there.

Just when I started to feel like I was losing my mind, Mid-American Conference Football Media Day came to save me. Football: It’s just around the corner.

(Don’t get me wrong; I like baseball, but it gets to be too much after the All-Star Break. I’m all about cutting about 30-40 games out of the schedule. Come at me, Old Man Baseball.)

We all got together in Detroit earlier in the week to talk MAC pigskin, and boy did that feel good. What felt better was the preseason poll as filed by the media. I know: only a fool takes stock in preseason polls. But hear me out: the MAC Media picked the Toledo Rockets to win the West Division, and the Bowling Green Falcons to not only win the East, but to win the conference title. Cool, huh?

(Granted: the Rockets were picked mere points above Northern Illinois in the West, but we’ll set that aside for now.)

Forgetting that these polls aren’t often accurate — last year, Ohio was picked to win the East, they finished third — let’s focus on what it means: respect for both programs. The Toledo Rockets are coming into this season without a for-sure starter at quarterback. With Terrance Owens gone, coach Matt Campbell is looking at a three-man race for the position, and it’s honestly anyone’s game. And despite losing David Fluellen and Bernard Reedy, we saw loads of talent last year from Kareem Hunt, Marc Remy, Damion Jones-Moore, Alonzo Russell, Alex Zmolik … not to mention four returning starts on the offensive line. Defensively, they lose a bit on the line, but return a lot in the secondary, which means the “all-or-nothing” defense that we’ve seen in the past couple of years should start to become a bit less bipolar. Quarterback, schmarterback; the media recognizes a good thing in the Toledo Rockets.

Yes, the Huskies lost quarterback Jordan Lynch as well, but they said two years ago that they wouldn’t be able to replace Chandler Harnish, and his records were toppled in a heartbeat. I swear those Huskies have a pact with some dark force.

And as for looking down I-75, you have to show some respect for the defending champion Bowling Green, picked to repeat. Again, the press making that call despite a major change: Dave Clawson left the Falcons last year to take the open job at Wake Forest. Enter Dino Babers, a coach in the Chip Kelly school of wanting to run Eleventy-Billion plays a game. (That’s a technical term. I swear it.) It would seem foolish to take the system that already won the conference and turn it on its ear, but Coach Babers has the team loose enough to buy into it, and quarterback Matt Johnson, who exploded onto the scene last year after getting the starter’s job in Week 2, feels like they’re picking up the new system nicely. Think about the arm strength and accuracy that he had, crank it up to ludicrous speed, and then tell me you aren’t circling Nov. 19 on your calendar.

Accurate or no, the preseason poll shows that the MAC media has a lot of respect for these two programs — respect that has been earned. Both Toledo and Bowling Green will dictate play in the conference at the end of the season. You gotta take I-75 to get to Detroit for the MAC Championship Game, so this is one time where you can say that the road to Ford Field literally goes through Northwest Ohio.

He’s talked to sailboat enthusiasts, helicopter pilots and SWAT teams. He’s traveled the Cayman Islands, Sunshine State and New Orleans. He’s a self-published novelist with eight award-winning books to his name and an imagination wild enough to write many more.

A portion of proceeds from Bob Adamov’s newest book “Zenobia: The Patriot Way” will be donated to Second Chance, a Toledo-based service initiative dedicated to supporting victims of domestic sex trafficking and prostitution, and The Human Trafficking Coalition of Lucas County.

Bob Adamov never quite knows where his research will go or how a story will end. It’s like putting the pieces of a puzzle together without having a box to know what the picture looks like.

“I never know where he’ll take something. I just can’t wait to see what he’ll write next,” said Adamov’s wife, Cathy. “His imagination really doesn’t stop. He can talk to people and all of a sudden he gets this look about him and I think ‘Oh here he goes, there’s a story here.’ I’m starting to be a better listener because of him.”

The mystery-adventure writer from Put-in-Bay spends about a year researching before he begins writing a book. The investigation begins with a list of scene ideas, maybe some catchy one-liners. Then, Adamov fashions a rough working outline that evolves as he meets new people and new plotlines develop.

“One reader told me I use the ‘prego’ approach to writing: if you want it, it’s in there,” Adamov said, chuckling. “I’m also a prankster. I look at my books as a fun opportunity to pull pranks on thousands of people, tease readers. I also try to be accessible and visible with them so I can ask ‘Were you surprised? Did this prank work?’”

Newspaper headlines or a random, entertaining anecdote can explode into a book chapter. Even Adamov’s personal experiences — like sitting at a seafood house near a rough-looking biker crowd only to realize his face is plastered with sparkles from suntan lotion — get added to his stories.

“I think the author’s main character has to embody what the author is to some extent,” said Mike Steidl, who helped copy edit Adamov’s newest book “Zenobia: The Patriot Way.” “When you get a description of Emerson Moore’s personality, you can see a lot of Bob in that. Inquisitive, adventurous, generous.”

In addition, Adamov often incorporates acquaintances, friends and local personalities into his writing.

“It’s so much fun to read about yourself as a semi-fictionalized character. It’s a thrill, actually, to be part of the process,” said friend Mike “Mad Dog” Adams, who appears throughout “The Other Side of Hell.” “Bob reminds me of his literary hero, a famous author by the name of Clive Cussler. Each book gets better. I’m a rave reviewer.”

Inspiration can happen at any time. If Adamov’s enjoying a movie, but thinks it should go in a different direction, he bustles over to his computer and types out the inspiration behind a scene.

“I’m always listening, watching, writing notes,” Adamov said. “If an idea hits, I’ll want to jot it down. If I don’t have paper, I’ll call myself and leave a message. It’s important to capture ideas while they’re fresh. And if it’s really hot, I’ll sit down and write it out. It could even be the subject of my next book.”

While researching with a SWAT team in Naples, Florida, Adamov stumbled upon a “really hot” idea, which led to his latest thriller, “Zenobia: The Patriot Way.”

“In ‘Zenobia,’ I take a hard look at human trafficking. I’m not an expert, but I tried to use my novel as a tool to create more awareness in readers’ minds about it,” Adamov said. “All those atrocities in the book actually took place — I didn’t make any up. That’s why I call my books ‘faction,’ not fiction. I mix so much fact and true detail into the story.”

Research for ‘Zenobia‘ included extensive interviews with local experts, including University of Toledo professor Celia Williamson, Toledo Police Department Detective Peter Scwartz, Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge Connie Zemmelman, and Tasha Perdue of the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition.

The novel opens in Vukovar, Croatia, where Adamov’s Serbian father used to live. Protoganist Emerson Moore ventures to Vukovar for an investigative reporting assignment, giving readers a cursory glance at the Serbian-Croatian war. Near its middle, Zenobia’s plot advances to the present day, with Moore investigating the disappearance of two women while he’s working undercover in Toledo. The final third of Adamov’s novel carefully examines the sex trafficking industry’s many human rights violations.

Adamov said he felt shocked to learn the hushed horrors of domestic human trafficking, and especially how its common perpetrators include clergy members, truck drivers, businessmen and police officers.

“I thought I was a savvy guy, but there’s a lot going on I had no idea about,” he said. “I take readers up to a closed door and that’s where it stops, no sex or strong language in my books. It’s just not my style. They’re PG, maybe PG-13 because of violent graphics. My daughter is still my little girl and I wouldn’t write anything that would offend her.”

A portion of proceeds from “Zenobia” will be donated to Second Chance, a Toledo-based service initiative dedicated to supporting victims of domestic sex trafficking and prostitution, and the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition.